US election 2024: The key moments of the night so far

Published

8 months ago

November 6, 2024

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As the UK wakes up, the result of the US election is not yet certain.

With exit polls announced in different states at different times, many of the most important battleground states are still too close to call, according to Sky’s partner network NBC News.

Follow live: Early data makes Trump camp ‘optimistic’

Donald Trump’s camp may be confident, with the Republican holding a lead in some key states, but a clear winner is still a while off – these are the key moments of polling night so far.

‘Russian’ bomb threats close polling stations

Polling stations in several of the seven battleground states were subject to bomb threats throughout Tuesday.

The security threats, which were all confirmed “non-credible” by the FBI, briefly stopped people from voting in Fulton County and DeKalb County, Georgia.

There were also hoaxes in Michigan, Wisconsin, and Arizona, but voting was not impacted there.

Two counties in North Carolina reported brief polling station closures due to computer and printer issues.

Both Georgia and North Carolina said they would have to extend voting hours as a result – but ultimately the official statewide polls closed on time – with some allowed to continue voting beyond the deadline.

Brad Raffensperger, Georgia’s secretary of state, claimed the fake bomb threats had come from Russian IP addresses.

“They’re up to mischief, it seems. They don’t want us to have a smooth, fair and accurate election, and if they can get us to fight among ourselves, they can count that as a victory,” he said.

A spokesperson for the Russian embassy in Washington described claims of interference as “malicious slander”, adding: “As President Vladimir Putin has repeatedly stressed, we respect the will of the American people.”

Russia has been accused of interfering in other recent US elections, particularly the 2016 race that saw Donald Trump beat Hillary Clinton.

Internet claims a ‘fake Melania’ voted alongside Trump

When footage emerged on social media of Melania Trump voting alongside Donald Trump in Florida it was met with conspiracy theories it was not actually her.

Mr and Mrs Trump cast their ballots at Mandel Recreation Center in Palm Beach late on Tuesday afternoon.

But people online claimed it was a “fake Melania”, questioning her appearance and speculating that Mr Trump had used a body double instead.

One post on X, which garnered thousands of views, captioned a clip of the former first lady: “That’s not Melania. This is insane.”

Sky News analysed the video and compared it with photos taken of Mrs Trump by the Reuters news agency – which show her by her husband’s side at the same precinct – proving that it was her.

It’s not the first time ‘fake Melania’ has trended online. Mrs Trump’s rare appearances on this year’s campaign trail – in stark contrast to the 2016 and 2020 races – sparked speculation the former president was using a lookalike to stand in for his wife at previous events.

Mrs Trump introduced her husband and X founder Elon Musk on stage at his rally at Madison Square Gardens late last month – and is reported to have taken part in private fundraisers, including one at Trump Tower in New York.

Florida fails to guarantee abortions – but other states succeed

A bid to guarantee abortion rights in Florida’s constitution failed to get enough votes.

The proposal on the ballot would have allowed women to terminate pregnancies up to 24 weeks. Currently, the law only allows them up to six weeks – before most women know they are pregnant.

It’s a victory for Republican Governor Ron DeSantis who has campaigned heavily against ‘Amendment 4’ with state-funded TV adverts and threats of criminal charges for TV channels that aired ads supporting it.

The amendment won majority support – but ultimately failed to get the 60% needed for it to become state law.

Abortion was on the ballot in 10 states after the Supreme Court voted to overturn Roe v Wade in 2022.

In contrast to Florida, Democrat-safe states Colorado and New York were among those that voted to protect reproductive rights, NBC projected.

In New York, the constitution will now guarantee that people can’t be denied their rights based on “pregnancy outcomes” as well as race, religion, and other protected characteristics.

In Colorado, reproductive rights will become part of the state constitution – barring state authorities from trying to impose a local ban – and the current constitutional ban against public-funded abortions will be lifted.

According to an NBC exit poll, only 14% of voters ranked abortion as the most important issue of the election overall – compared to 35% who said democracy.

Trump claims ‘massive cheating’ in Philadelphia

Donald Trump made more false claims of election fraud, saying there was “talk of massive cheating in Philadelphia” before polls closed there on Tuesday evening.

He said there was “law enforcement coming!” to investigate his claims in the Pennsylvania city – but there was no evidence of this.

Twenty minutes later he posted again on his Truth Social media platform that police were also out investigating electoral fraud claims in Detroit, Michigan.

The state’s district attorney Larry Krasner said there was “no factual basis in these allegations”.

“If Donald J. Trump has any facts to support his wild allegations, we want them now. Right now. We are not holding our breath,” he wrote on X.

Both Pennsylvania and Michigan are among the seven battleground states that historically decide who wins the White House.

Mr Trump filed more than 60 lawsuits over claims of voter fraud in Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin, Arizona, Georgia, Nevada, and Washington DC in 2020.

US

Donald Trump praises Liberian president’s English – the country’s official language

Published

3 hours ago

July 10, 2025

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Donald Trump praises Liberian president's English - the country's official language

Donald Trump has praised the Liberian president’s command of English – the West African country’s official language.

The US president reacted with visible surprise to Joseph Boakai’s English-speaking skills during a White House meeting with leaders from the region on Wednesday.

After the Liberian president finished his brief remarks, Mr Trump told him he speaks “such good English” and asked: “Where did you learn to speak so beautifully?”

Mr Trump seemed surprised when Mr Boakai laughed and responded he learned in Liberia.

The US president said: “It’s beautiful English.

“I have people at this table who can’t speak nearly as well.”

Mr Boakai did not tell Mr Trump that English is the official language of Liberia.

The country was founded in 1822 with the aim of relocating freed African slaves and freeborn black citizens from the US.

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Mr Trump promised the leaders of Liberia, Senegal, Gabon, Mauritania and Guinea-Bissau a pivot from aid to trade at the surprise meeting.

He described the countries as “all very vibrant places with very valuable land, great minerals, and great oil deposits, and wonderful people”.

Later asked by a reporter if he’ll visit the continent, Mr Trump said, “At some point, I would like to go to Africa.”

But he added that he’d “have to see what the schedule looks like”.

Trump’s predecessor, President Joe Biden, promised to go to Africa in 2023, but only fulfilled the commitment by visiting Angola in December 2024, just weeks before he left office.

US

Gaza permanent ceasefire ‘questionable’, says Israeli government

Published

3 hours ago

July 10, 2025

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Gaza permanent ceasefire 'questionable', says Israeli government

The Israeli government believes the chances of achieving a permanent ceasefire in Gaza are “questionable”.

The pessimistic assessment, in a top-level Israeli government briefing given to Sky News, comes as the Israeli Prime Minister prepares to leave Washington DC after a four-day visit which had begun with the expectation of a ceasefire announcement.

Benjamin Netanyahu will leave the US later today with the prospect of even a temporary 60-day ceasefire looking extremely unlikely this week.

Within “a week, two weeks – not a day” is how it was framed in the background briefing late on Wednesday.

Crucially, though, on the chances of the ceasefire lasting beyond 60 days, the framing from the briefing was even less optimistic: “We will begin negotiations on a permanent settlement. But we achieve it? It’s questionable, but Hamas will not be there.”

Sky News has spoken to several Israeli officials at the top level of the government. None will be drawn on any of the details of the negotiations over concerns that public disclosure could jeopardise their chances of success.

But I have been given a very clear understanding of Mr Netanyahu’s thinking.

The Israeli position is that a permanent ceasefire (beyond the initial 60 days, which itself is yet to be agreed) is only possible if Hamas lays down its arms. “If they don’t, we’ll proceed [with the war],” said a source.

The major sticking point in the talks between Hamas and Israel is the status of the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) inside Gaza during the 60-day ceasefire and beyond, should it last longer.

The latest Israeli proposal, passed to Hamas last week, included a map showing the proposed IDF presence inside Gaza during the ceasefire.

This was rejected by Hamas and by Trump’s Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, who reportedly told the Israelis that the redeployment map “looks like a Smotrich plan”, a reference to the extreme-right Israeli finance minister, Bezalel Smotrich.

My briefing of Mr Netanyahu’s position is that he has not shifted in terms of Israel’s central stated war aims. The return of the hostages and eliminating Hamas are the key objectives.

But in a hint of how hard it will be to reconcile the differences, it was clear from my briefing that no permanent ceasefire is possible in the Israeli government’s view without the complete removal of Hamas as a political and military entity.

Hamas is not likely to negotiate its way to oblivion.

On the status of the Israeli military inside Gaza, a senior Israeli official told Sky News: “We would want IDF in every square metre of Gaza, and then hand it over to someone.”

It was clear to me that Mr Netanyahu wants his stated position to be that his government has no territorial ambition for Gaza.

One quote to come from my briefing, which I am only able to attribute to a senior Israeli official, says: “[We] don’t want to govern Gaza… don’t want to govern, but the first thing is, you have to defeat Hamas.”

Another clear indication of Mr Netanyahu’s position – a quote from the briefing, attributable only to a senior Israeli official: “You cannot have victory if you don’t clear out all the fighting forces.

“You have to go into every square inch unless you are not serious about victory. I am. We are going to defeat them. Those who do not disarm will die. Those who disarm will have a life.”

On the future of Gaza, it’s clear from my briefings that Mr Netanyahu continues to rule out the possibility of a two-state solution “for the foreseeable future”.

The Israeli government assessment is that the Palestinians are not going to have a state “as long as they cling to that idea of destroying our state”.

On the most controversial aspect of the Gaza conflict – the movement of the population – the briefing revealed that Mr Netanyahu’s view is that 60% of Palestinians would “choose to leave” but that Israel would allow them to return once Hamas had been eliminated.

“It’s not forcible eviction, it’s not permanent eviction,” a senior Israeli official said.

Critics of Israel’s war in Gaza say that any removal of Palestinians from Gaza, even if given the appearance of being “voluntary”, is in fact anything but, because the strip has been so comprehensively flattened.

Reacting to Israeli Defence Minister Katz’s recent statement revealing a plan to move Palestinians into a “humanitarian city” in southern Gaza, and not let them out of that area, the official wouldn’t be drawn, except to say: “As a permanent arrangement? Of course not.”

US

Gaza permanent ceasefire ‘questionable’, says senior Israeli official

Published

6 hours ago

July 10, 2025

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A senior Israeli official has issued a less-than-optimistic assessment of the permanency of any ceasefire in Gaza.

Speaking in Washington on condition of anonymity, the senior official said that a 60-day ceasefire “might” be possible within “a week, two weeks – not a day”.

But on the chances of the ceasefire lasting beyond 60 days, the official said: “We will begin negotiations on a permanent settlement.

“But we achieve it? It’s questionable, but Hamas will not be there.”

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is due to conclude a four-day visit to Washington later today.

There had been hope that a ceasefire could be announced during the trip. US President Donald Trump has repeatedly stated that it’s close.

Speaking at a briefing for a number of reporters, the Israeli official would not be drawn on any of the details of the negotiations over concerns that public disclosure could jeopardise their chances of success.

The major sticking point in the talks between Hamas and Israel is the status of the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) inside Gaza during the 60-day ceasefire and beyond, should it last longer.

The latest Israeli proposal, passed to Hamas last week, included a map showing the proposed IDF presence inside Gaza during the ceasefire.

The official repeated Israel’s central stated war aims of getting the hostages back and eliminating Hamas. But in a hint of how hard it will be to reconcile the differences, the official was clear that no permanent ceasefire would be possible without the complete removal of Hamas.

“We will offer them a permanent ceasefire,” he told Sky News. “If they agree. Fine. It’s over.

“They lay down their arms, and we proceed [with the ceasefire]. If they don’t, we’ll proceed [with the war].”

On the status of the Israeli military inside Gaza, the official said: “We would want IDF in every square meter of Gaza, and then hand it over to someone…”

He added: “[We] don’t want to govern Gaza… don’t want to govern, but the first thing is, you have to defeat Hamas…”

The official said the Israeli government had “no territorial designs for Gaza”.

“But [we] don’t want Hamas there,” he continued. “You have to finish the job… victory over Hamas. You cannot have victory if you don’t clear out all the fighting forces.

“You have to go into every square inch unless you are not serious about victory. I am. We are going to defeat them. Those who do not disarm will die. Those who disarm will have a life.”

On the future of Gaza, the official ruled out the possibility of a two-state solution “for the foreseeable future”.

“They are not going to have a state in the foreseeable future as long as they cling to that idea of destroying our state. It doesn’t make a difference if they are the Palestinian Authority or Hamas, it’s just a difference of tactics.”

On the most controversial aspect of the Gaza conflict – the movement of the population – the official predicted that 60% of Palestinians would “choose to leave”.

But he claimed that Israel would allow them to return once Hamas had been eliminated, adding: “It’s not forcible eviction, it’s not permanent eviction.”

Critics of Israel’s war in Gaza say that any removal of Palestinians from Gaza, even if given the appearance of being “voluntary,” is in fact anything but, because the strip has been so comprehensively flattened.